Must the Show Go On?
By Dan Murphy
In 2018, the Royal Hanneford Circus highlighted its yearly performance at the Westchester County Center as “the last show with performing animals,” most notably elephants. The announcement came after New York State passed a law banning circus elephants, and after a decline in ticket sales after a rash of negative publicity because of the opposition to the abusive treatment of circus performing animals.
Now, in 2020, the circus is returning to the County Center, and the poster for the upcoming Hanneford shows over President’s Day weekend in February includes white elephants – another animal performing act that so many in Westchester and NYS have objected to.
“Despite repeated promises to the contrary, officials here have deliberately ignored 20 years of humane outreach, rallies, meetings, letters and education about traveling animal acts, and the details of how miserably abusive they are to intelligent beings forcibly brought here in boxcars and chains – while making a myriad of pathetic excuses to avoid any action on this topic,” said Kiley Blackman, founder of Animal Defenders of Westchester
“The BOL has completely favored animal abusers and deliberately turned their backs on all humane issues – while the rest of the world has been awake for several years now; from our paid representatives this is particularly shabby. The deputy county executive ‘boasts’ about having an animal abuse registry here. Yep, the same one that is also totally neglected by the county, with only one name on it in five years, although there are several candidates.
“Because of this county’s negligence, Hanneford circus now thumbs its nose at us by pitifully and cruelly dragging in caged dominated white tigers, showing the world our total lack of heart and decency,” continued Blackman. “‘Progressive’ Westchester officials must be so proud.”
In 2017, New York State passed legislation, signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, which banned the use of elephants in circuses. That same year, New York City outlawed all wild animals in circus acts. In 2018, New Jersey became the first state to ban wild and exotic animal acts.
In Westchester, Greenburgh has banned the circus for more than 15 years. “A lot of people feel that, although circuses can be fun for children, there’s a potential danger for the animals. Some animals have died, and some animals are beaten and chained. There’s also a concern for public safety. We were the first locality in Westchester to ban animal acts at circuses but other communities had taken action around the country–Stamford, Conn, Hollywood, Fl, Southhampton NY , Pasadena, Calif and Quincy Mass,” said Greenburgh Supervisor Paul Feiner.
Despite the example, Westchester County – one of the progressive capitals of the country – continues to make money by renting the County Center to a circus that continues to use animals in their performances. Unfortunately, here in Westchester, against the wishes of animal rights advocates, “the show goes on” with no real concern, or opposition from our elected officials.
For most of us who have enjoyed the circus as youngsters and who may have brought our children to the circus in recent years, our views have progressed to where we do not want to be entertained as a result of animal abuse and torture.
Furthermore, if elephants can be protected from circus abuse, what about the rest of the animals? So far, efforts by animal rights groups to get Westchester County government to ban the circus here has failed.
The argument is the same as it was for the past three years, since County Executive George Latimer took office and democrats took super-majority control of the County Board of Legislators.
Blackman and animal rights groups have been trying to get the circus banned in Westchester since 2004.
“Circuses with wild animal acts are inhumane, outdated and for very good reason finally being banned,” said Westchester resident Rebecca Sunshine in a letter to our papers in 2018. “Elephants are highly intelligent, social animals who never signed up for show business and are kept out of their natural environment, painfully prodded with bull hooks, and confined and transported in terrible conditions. Animals should never be mistreated and abused for the sake of our entertainment, and it is quite unfortunate that the Hanneford Circus is still permitted to perform in Westchester County.”
Blackman also wrote to us in 2018, and noted that her organization has been trying since 2004 to get action from county government to ban the circus in Westchester, and the animal abuse that comes with it.
“You can travel 50 miles in any direction from Westchester and the circus is banned,” she said. “They have banned it in New York City, in New Jersey and in two cities in Connecticut. It’s a disgrace that here in Westchester, the circus continues. We have received no action from county government. All it would take is an executive order. We also have seen no action from the Board of Legislators.
“If new BOL Chair Ben Boykins means it when he claims he will be making the BOL ‘more progressive,’ we request and expect, as taxpaying resident constituents of Westchester, that he will join the rest of the world by including animal advocacy issues in this, one of the richest counties in the U.S.
“All animal ‘businesses,’ be it circuses, rodeos, zoos, are run for profit like any other business; when overhead and cost are factors, the animals lose – always,” continued Blackman. “Just like the elderly and children, the animals are the most easily victimized. They are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on or use for entertainment. Don’t express sorrow over your sad lost ‘entertainment.’ Everyone is empowered now – women, minorities, LGBTQ… The most voiceless of all, the animals, will not be left out.
“When George Latimer was elected county executive, he immediately did an executive order banning gun shows on county property; we did not know about these rules, and requested he do one against circuses, as the BOL still did nothing but lie. He refused, instead dumping the issue back on the BOL.
“The fact that Latimer could have stopped this sad, pitiful cruelty with a stroke of his pen a year ago (now two years ago) but instead chose to do nothing is heartbreaking. Worse, as a senator, Latimer wrote a bill against circuses that remains dormant. This caravan of sorrow will be coming to Westchester with your blessing; the suffering of these animals is now your failure.”
The famous Barnum and Bailey Circus performed its last circus at Madison Square Garden in 2017.
Animal Defenders International President Jan Creamer said: “Using wild animals in circuses is a recipe for disaster, putting animals and the public in harm’s way. ADI calls on governments around the world without bans in place to end wild animal acts without delay and stop circus suffering.”
The first component of the circus is the fact that, like the gun shows of the past, Westchester County rents its facility, owned by the taxpayers of Westchester, to the Hanneford Circus. Not only is the circus banned in the county, but the taxpayers are profiting off the circus performing at the county center.
County Legislator Damon Maher has proposed legislation that would ban animals from performing in the circus in the county, and at the County Center. But there is no hopes of moving this bill before the BOL for a vote, and certainly not before the circus returns next month, in part because “there is no support on the BOL to do so,” Maher told Rising newspapers.
Other members on the County Board, including a few who have prided themselves on being animal rights advocates, remain silent on the circus and the return of animals with the circus who are being mistreated.
The taxpayers of Westchester should ask their county government: How much money is being made by renting the County Center to the circus? And the taxpayers need to ask themselves: Is that amount of money collected worth it, anymore?
